Southern West Yiradyuri Clans Land, Water and Sky Country Aboriginal Corporation is committed to protecting our future
Southern West Yiradyuri people have never ceded sovereignty and continue to live by our lore which provides us the freedom to interact within our Country in a personal, professional and commercial manner without interference from imposed colonial government systems. We accept that we must work together on a shared future. However, Southern West Yiradyuri people’s rights, customs, lore and law must be acknowledged and respected as a core foundation to mutual friendship and partnership.
We are committed to ensuring that government policy is reflective of our allodial rights, sovereignty, aspirations and self-determination.
Key policy areas
Southern West Yiradyuri requires access to our traditional water rights. We must restore customary practices, protect our cultural values and uses, and support self-determination. To pave the way to a Southern West Yiradyuri future underpinned by self-determination, Government must change how water is shared and managed across Yiradyuri Country.
Fire is a critical component of Southern West Yiradyuri ceremony. We use it to restore and heal Country, share knowledge and the stories of our old people.
Southern West Yiradyuri are committed to ensuring our rights and expertise in fire land management practice is recognised through government policy at all levels.
Southern West Yiradyuri people have a cultural obligation to look after Country. We understand that we currently have to work within the colonial laws of land management, but must ensure that our rights and obligations to Country are recognised and actioned.
Southern West Yiradyuri people are working to influence policy areas that manage forests and make sure government know how our members want forests managed in the future.
As the Australia moves towards a renewables future, it is important that compensation for any works undertaken, and profits made, on Southern West Yiradyuri Country is paramount.
Government and corporate policies need to reflect the impact of their activities on our Country. Our voices must shape those policies, and there must be a greater net benefit to our people and Country.
The Southern West Yiradyuri Traditional Owner Corporation has been established to undertake extremely important work to protect our Country and Culture. While it is of utmost significance to maintain the integrity of our allodial rights, it is equally important to uphold our cherished and long-standing cultural traditions. In order to achieve this, it is essential for government policies that apply to Southern West Yiradyuri to be self-determining. By doing so, we can ensure that our Country is returned to us free from encumbrances and restrictions.
It is crucial to acknowledge that as the original People of Southern West Yiradyuri Country, we have been successful in managing our precious Country for over a millennium. This is due to our extensive knowledge, skills, and capacity, which has nurtured the sustainability of our Country over generations.
As Traditional Owners, it is our responsibility to safeguard our Culture and Country for future generations. This is paramount and can only be achieved by having a genuine partnership with governments, which enables us to work together towards achieving an equitable and sustainable future for all.
Often forgotten is the importance of the Sky Country and our strong connection to the skyworld, both physical and spiritual. As more and more development happens across Australia, the light pollution is damaging the environment and breaking down our ability to connect culturally to our Sky Country. An example is the disruption to the buugang ceremony (bogong moth migration to the Alps), which sees millions of buugang not make it due to being caught up in city lights on their journey. We have a responsibility to protect this important ceremony that has taken place for thousands of years and is a significant part of our cultural practice and ceremony.